Driving mechanism for motor-vehicles



C. E. STARR.

DRIVING MECHANISIVI FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLlcAloN min Au.9. 1919.

1,362,361 Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Chic'. nu',

C. E. STARR.

DRIVING NIECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9.1919.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. STARR, 0F SEDRO WOOLLEY, WASHINGTONL- DRIVING MEGHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application med August 9, 1919.` Srial No. 316,403.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. STARR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Sedro lVoolley, county of Skagit, State of Washington," have invented certain new and vuseful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to speed changing mechanism and more particularly to the combination of a differential and planetary gear system whereby a change of speed of parts driven thereby may be secured byV the shifting of certainfparts of the mechanism to permit or prevent movement of the Vplanetary system. l

The object of the invention is to combine a planetary gear system with a differential mechanism as is ordinarily used for the purpose of driving of automobiles in a construction that is simple, compact and efficient.

In accomplishing this object I have provided improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which'are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the differential housing on the plane of the drivin shaft and axles; the forward portion o the gearing members being shown in section while the remaining parts are shown in lan. 4

ig. 2 is a view, partly in section, showing the relative positions of the movable locking member and cooperating parts when the former is in a neutral position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same parts in Isuch relationias to roduce a direct drive or what may beterme a high speed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse wertcal section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. y

i 5 is a transverse vertical section substantlally on the broken line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- 1 and 10 re resent the inner ends of differential sha ts which may comprise the shaftsof an automobile rear axle. These shafts have their ends abutting and are connected and driven by a differential mechanism which is, or may be, of a standard construction. As here shown the differential mechanism consists of two o posedly mounted bevel ars 2 and 20 w nch are keyed. preferaby by a spline connection, respectively on the abutting ends of the Y spider;

frame is supported; the sleeves being revo luble about the shafts adjacent the outer sides o f the gears 2-20 which retain the frameyin position against longitudinal shiftxtending laterally from the frame is a series of journal pins 30 upon which pinions 3 are mounted; the pinions being the intermediate gears of a planetary ear system. As shown best in Fig. 4 three o? these gears are shown although the number may varied if desired or as is necessary. The inner ends 30 of these pins are extended through the two sections of the frame; 23 and are provided at 'their ends with nuts whereby the ftwio sections are looked secureliy together to form a rigid frame.

4 esignates the master gear ofthe planetary system and 6 the master gear. of the whole system; the two gears being secured together and also to supporting webs 40 and 44 by means of bolts 42. The webs 40 and 44 are respectively provided with sleeves 41 and 45 upon which they turn and the webs ma either form a closed housing for the di erential gears or may be an open work the sleeves being revolubly supported within suitable anti-friction bearings, as shown at 46, which are mounted in the diilerential housing as later described.

The innergear 5 of the lanetary system is formed integral with an at one en of a longitudinally shiftable sleeve 50, which is adapted to turn freely upon the axle 1 and has a somewhat enlarged portion whereon the gear 5 is formed which revolves freely about the bearing sleeve 24 of the frame 23.

Power to drive the axles 1 and 10 is communicated-through the master gears 5 and 4 and is applied to the gear 5. The manner of doing this as here shown consists of a r 47 carried b a power transmission shaft 48 that may be operated by any suitable source of power.

The smaller end of the sleeve 50 is pro-` vided near its end with a gear 51, the teeth of which are adapted to be disengaged from or to mesh with those of an internally toothed ring 7, which is fixed by bolts within the housing.-

Mounted concentrically about the sleeve 5 on the outer ends of the pins 30 is an internally toothed ring gear 8 which is adapted to receive the ear 5 as the sleeve 50 is shifted longitu lnally on its axle.v In the position of the sleeve 50 and gear 5, as shown in Fig. 1`, the sleeve and gear are held against rotation by the interlockin of the teeth of gear 51 with the teeth of t e fixed ring 7 and consequently, when the mechanism is driven, the master ear 4 and axles are moved at different spee s; the latter being slower than the former according to the proportion or size of the gears. If, however, the sleeve is shifted so as to disengage the teeth of gear 51 and interlock the teeth of the gear 50 simultaneously with the teeth of the pinions 3 and ring gear 8, as in Fig. 3, the pinions will be he d against rotation so that the casing 23 will revolve with the master gears and consequently, the axles will' be driven directly from the master gear at what may be termed their high speed.

The sleeve 50 assumes a neutral driving position when it is shifted so that the gear 5 and teeth 51 are both disengaged from the locking rings, as is illustrated in Fig. 2.

The casing 9, which incloses the mechanism, has an internal sup orting member 90 at one side, wherein the caring 46 at that side is mounted and the bearing is held in position by means of a ca 92 that is removably ixed b bolts 93 to t e said supporting member. his bearing revolubly retains the sleeve 41 of the web 40 and the said sleeve forms a bearing for the shiftable sleeve 50 which in turn carries the axle 1.

At its opposite side the housing 9 has au inwardly extending sleeve 95 which supports the bearings at that side similarly as on the opposite'side and the bearings revolubly support thesleeves. 24 and 45.01 the frame 23 and web 44. y

The preferred means for. shifting the sleeve 50 to obtain the change of speed, com rises a shifting collar 56 which is revollubly retained on the sleeve between the rin of teeth of gear 51 and a nut 57 that is xreaded onto and locked to the end of the sleeve. Pivotally connected to the Vcollar are the arms 58 of a yoke 59 mounted on a vertical turning shaft 65, which in turn is su ported by a bracket 66 from the interior o? the housin 9.

The shaft 65 exten from the housing and has a crank lever 67 thereon to which an operating shaft-68 is attached. By oscillating this latter shaft, the collar 56, and with it the sleeve 59, will be moved lengthwise so that the gear teeth thereon will be brought into engagement with, or disengaged from the teeth of the fixed member 7.

If the sleeve 50 and its attached gear 5 be positioned, as in Fig. 1 to retain it against rotation, the intermediate pinions 8 will be caused to travel around the gear 5 carrying with them the frame 23 of the differential. If the sleeve is shifted to engage parts as shown in Fig. 3, the planetary system will be locked so as to revolve as one piece with the frame 23 and at a higher speed than when the sleeve is in its former position.

It is apparent that with the parts constructed and assembled as described a compact mechanism of such character as to be reliable, and elicient, and a means of obtaining another speed ratio for driving automobiles is rovided. i

Havingt us described my invention what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.'

1. In a power transmission device in combination, a differential gear system having a differential frame journaled upon the shafts thereof, a planetary gear s stem having its intermediate gears mounte on said frame, a master. gear for the said intermediate gears, a locking ring fixed to the differential frame, a central gear for the planetary system adapted to be engaged with the locking ring and having a sleeve longitudinally shiftable on one of the-differential shafts, a locking member on the sleeve, a fixed locking member adapted to receive said sleeve locking member and means for optionally shifting the sleeve to such position as to lock the same against rotation t'o cause functioningr of the planetary system or to Such position as to interlock the central gear with the loking ring and intermediate planetary gears to lock the differential frame relative to the master gear.

2. ln a power transmission device, in cornbination, a differential gear system having a dilierential frame journaled upon the shafts thereof, a planetary gear system having its intermediate gears mounted on said frame, a master gear for the planetary system, a locking rin fixed on the frame to revolve therewith adjacent said intermediate gears, a fixed locking member spaced from the locking ring asleeve inclosing one of the differential shafts and having a limited movement longitudinally thereof, two gears formed on sald sleeve; one of said gears forming the central gear of the planetary svstem and is adapted to be moved' by a shifting of the sleeve into interlocking relation with the locking ring to prevent rotation of the planetary gears and to lock the frame relative to the master gear, the other gear bein adapted to move into and from locking re ation with the fixed lock-m member accordingly as thesleeve is shifted to move the opposite gear from and into locking relation with the locking ring.

3. In a power transmission device in com bination, a differential frame journaled upon the shafts thereof, pintles mounted 4in Said frame, gears mounted on said pintles forming the intermediate gears of a planetary gear system, a master gear for the intermediate gears, supportin Webs secured to the master gear having earing sleeve journaled in external bearings and inclosing the axles, an internally toothed lookin ring mounted on said pintles adjacent sai intermediate gears and adapted to revolve with said frame, a' central gear for the planetary system having a sleeve extending therefrom slidable a limited distance on one of the differential shafts and having a looking gear thereon, a fixed locking ring adapted to receive the locking gear, a collar revolubly fixed on the sleeve, a shiftin device xed to said collar whereby the s eeve may be moved to optionally lock the sleeve against rotation by engagement of the locking gear thereon with the xed locking ring or moved so as to free the locking ring and to interlock the central gear slmultaneously with the intermediate gears and lookin ring to prevent movement of the diiferentlal frame relative to the master gear for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 12th day of June, 1919.

CHARLES E. STARR. 

